Cremé de Caviar

This elegant caviar appetizer is sure to impress sophisticated palates.

Recipe Ingredients:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8-ounces) sour cream
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3.5-ounces black lumpfish caviar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
2 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
Toast Points and fresh crudités as accompaniments

Cooking Directions:

1. Place cream cheese into a large bowl and cream with electric mixer until softened.
2. Stir in 1 cup sour cream, onion, caviar, salt, and pepper, and mix until well blended.
3. Shape into a mound on a serving platter.
   
4. Cover the mound with the 1/2 cup sour cream. Sprinkle to cover with finely chopped egg and top with parsley.
5. Chill in refrigerator for several hours before serving.
6. Serve with toast points and crudités.

Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings.

Note: When serving caviar, proper serving utensils are designed to reduce damage to the roe and ultimately, its taste. Such utensils are traditionally made mother-of-pearl, wood, porcelain, glass, ivory, horn and gold. They are not absolutely necessary but like a good wine glass they can help bring out full appreciation. Serving caviar with metals that oxidize easily (such as silver) have been known to impart a metallic taste and thus are not preferred by very serious aficionados.